Tough job market may be blessing for young people

Published 9:37 am, Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Is your twenty-something betwixt and between, living at home, and causing you sleepless nights? Is he or she among the 50 percent of college grads who've been unable to find jobs?

I regularly meet with young people (or their parents), distressed because they know they aren't kids anymore, yet certainly don't feel like adults. They never dreamt that after college or other training they'd be living back home with the folks.

Gainful employment, preferably in a career of choice, is key to helping young people feel as though they've negotiated the transition into adulthood. The inability to find work and support themselves often triggers anxiety and depression in young people, making their search all-the-more daunting.

OK, enough gloom and doom. How can our young people find advantage in the disadvantage of a poor job market? Here are just a few of the many "gifts" that a less-than-optimal job picture provides:

If jobs were readily available, young people would be able to quickly grab a work opportunity, never stopping to consider whether or not it's a good fit for them. With a paucity of job possibilities, however, twenty-somethings might as well take some time to find out what they're truly passionate about. By doing so now, they may avoid having to question their career satisfaction later, when family responsibilities could prohibit such a search.

Necessity is, indeed, the mother of invention. We humans don't normally go the extra mile to figure something out unless we have to. In the search to find her passion, your young adult may stumble upon a career niche -- a way in which she can distinguish herself from the competition. For example, maybe she has unusual technical expertise that she can offer a prospective employer. Without the tough market she wouldn't have been encouraged to hone in on an area of career specialization.

The process of having to launch an aggressive career search will help him to develop a set of "tools" that otherwise might lay dormant. These tools will help him in every facet of his life, not just on the work front.

By finding what she loves to do, your young adult will pave the way for a successful future. In my experience people who work in fields they love, even where the financial remuneration isn't projected to be great, somehow seem to be more successful than those who don't. Ultimately he will spend many hours a week working at his job. Like it or not his work will help shape whom he sees himself to be. Working at something he loves will not only help him to be healthier and happier, he will bring greater confidence to all he does.

Are you surprised at how many potential benefits can be found in the midst of a tough job market? To capitalize on these benefits, engage a career consultant or coach. A professional can help your twenty-something find their passion, put together an impressive resume and head out for job interviews looking and sounding sharp, and with renewed confidence and enthusiasm.